The Quadruped Reunion
by Weetzie06
Summary: With a heavy heart, Remus Lupin resigns from his teaching post at Hogwarts, and soon finds himself in the company of his long lost friend.


Remus Lupin roused in the gray dawn freezing cold and bloody. Although Lupin was rather weak from the horrible episode of last night, he got back on his feet, his two _human_ feet. Lupin was still acclimating to the human emotions filtering back into his head as he began to make his way out of the forest. Lupin made a point of retracing last night's steps and found himself in the Shrieking Shack where the very naked professor was enormously grateful to find Harry Potter's invisibility cloak forgotten last night amidst the action. Lupin was hit with pangs of guilt as he continued on towards his study in the castle, what if he had bitten someone last night? Even without biting anyone, there would be unkind consequences for his mistake of missing his Wolfsbane potion. Lupin could never let this happen again.

The graying professor would not be surprised hours from now, when he learned that word of his being a werewolf had spread amongst the Slytherins compliments of Severus Snape. There was no other choice; he would have to resign from the defense against the dark arts position at once. That much was decided, and now he simply had to face the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.

Considering how much remorse Lupin was feeling, his meeting with Dumbledore went very well. Dumbledore asked Lupin to stay on for the next term, but Lupin was firm in his decision to resign. With teaching business squared, Dumbledore informed Lupin that Sirius Black had narrowly escaped the ministry thanks to Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, not to mention Buckbeak. Lupin smiled at learning about Sirius Black's rescue. At age 13, Harry was already a remarkable wizard.

"You will always be welcome at Hogwarts." Dumbledore's eyes gave that signature twinkle as he gave his parting regards to Lupin.

A carriage had been arranged to pick Lupin up later that day, and in the meantime he had spent his time packing up his belongings. Only once did he leave his office to release his grindylow into the school's lake. Lupin was mostly packed when he came across the Marauder's Map, and saw Harry's labeled dot making its way toward Lupin. Harry knocked on the office door as the two miniscule dots lined up side by side on the map. After the disappointment of confirming Lupin's resignation, Harry described the details of what had transpired last night, of the stag Patronus. Lupin felt genuine happiness chip away at his personal predicament because of the courage Harry had shown and the complex magic that he had learned in this last year. Lupin made sure to return both relics from his student days at Hogwarts, the invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map, to Harry. Lupin told Harry he was sure they would meet again, and he meant it…if the Dark Lord was rising again, the Order of the Phoenix would reactivate. Hard as it was to say goodbye to Harry, Lupin was relieved when Dumbledore arrived to inform them of the carriage's arrival. Quickly he said his goodbyes and made his way to the carriage.

Lupin stowed his suitcase and grindylow tank inside of the carriage, and it suddenly hit him that he had no plan, no destination to speak of. Lupin decided he would find a place to stay in the nearby Hogsmeade village until he made better plans. The carriage ride was short, and Lupin found a kindly old witch, Madam Ethelinda, with a spare room.

"So nice to have a professor from Hogwarts stay here" Madam Ethlinda clucked adjusting her thick spectacles skeptically as she observed Lupin's scrapes and bruises, but she gave him a key anyway. Lupin dug in his pockets happy to have enough silver to pay for a room…of course it would be back to broke now without his teaching position, and Lupin felt no need to correct the little witch about his employment status. He brusquely thanked her, and closed himself up in the guestroom. The rectangular mound of lace in the corner must be the bed, Lupin supposed, as he laid his suitcase and tank down beside it. The wallpaper was just as garish as the bed, and a small desk was shrouded in what appeared to be a giant tea cozy. Suddenly an overwhelming sensation of fatigue from the last twenty-four hours caught up with him. With just enough energy left to remove his traveling cloak and shoes, he spent the rest of the day sleeping between the lacey sheets of the bed.

Upon waking, Lupin's head was swimming from his dreams about what had happened the previous night, of Sirius Black. Thinking of Black gave Lupin a chill as if he had passed through a ghost. Had it really only just happened, the Shrieking Shack, Wormtail, and that bloody full moon? It was hard to believe it _hadn't_ all just been the most peculiar dream.

It must have been well into the night now, and Lupin felt trapped inside his head with a boggle of thoughts, and decided that he would take a walk around Hogsmeade. The night's air and a strong drink would do the ex-professor some good. And so he quietly ventured out of Madam Ethlinda's home. The night would have been pleasant with the exception of the dementor patrol. Lupin was well prepared, chocolate in pocket, and the prospect of a drink ahead. As Lupin neared the warmly lit windows of his usual favorite pub, he decided against going into the Three Broomsticks. He knew it might be juvenile, but he felt unworthy to punish proper wizarding folk with his beastly presence. Lupin could not stop thinking of his massive mistake with the Wolfsbane potion. Instead, he decided upon joining the less savory company of the Hog's Head.

Once inside the grimy pub, Lupin took up a stool at the end of the bar and ordered a fire whiskey. As Lupin waited for his drink he felt pale moonlight on his profile, the panes of the glass casted silhouettes onto the bar and his side. Wormtail had gotten away, and Sirius was not cleared of the murders. Order up and Lupin took a heavy swig feeling the harsh whiskey clash with the sweet chocolate from before. Within a couple minutes Lupin felt more relaxed. Letting down his guard somewhat, Lupin looked around the pub, and was relieved to see that no fellow Hogwarts faculty was there. Soon his drink was gone, and so, in the spirit of Hagrid, he ordered another..._to Beaky_, he thought. But rather than think of the hippogriff, Lupin could not stop thinking about Sirius Black. Sirius had fled Hogwarts before anyone had really had the chance to speak with him. The moonlight flickered suddenly. Lupin turned towards the window, and squinted out hopelessly. He merely saw his own scared face squinting back at himself in the reflected lamplight of the pub.

"Here y'are," said a gruff voice that made Lupin jolt slightly. He turned back to see his second fire whiskey waiting. Eyeing up the glass, Lupin wondered if he would make it through the whole thing. He might have been better off with a butter beer. Gingerly sipping the drink, Lupin heard the murmur of a couple of hags quietly conversing over a set of tarot cards. There was nothing interesting in what they said until he managed to hear, "…shaggy, black dog on the prowl…"

The moonlight disappeared from the window once again. Lupin quickly looked out the window hoping to see what was in the sky. Lupin's eyes failed him, and so he honed into the hags' conversation, the tips of his ears warm from the drink, but highly sensitive and keen to hear more. One hag flipped over a card to reveal more of the reading, and talk of a piercing cry which could only be produced by a large, magical creature was enough for Lupin's heart to pump rapidly. Quickly, he emptied his filthy glass of whiskey, donned his traveling cloak, and exited the pub with purpose. Lupin looked into the night sky wondering if he might confirm the crazy notion in his head that just maybe Buckbeak and Sirius could be so close to Hogwarts Castle and the dementors.


End file.
